September 9th is celebrated annually as International FASD Awareness Day to promote education and awareness efforts on FASD. More recently, the month of September has been designated as FASD Awareness Month. FASD is preventable by abstaining from alcohol while pregnant or trying to become pregnant. Despite myths and misconceptions, there is no “safe” amount of alcohol, nor is there a safe time to consume alcohol during pregnancy. Help us prevent alcohol exposed pregnancies and FASD by participating in the following webinars.

Recent evidence indicates that the United States is facing a public health crisis of alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD), which has been fueled in part by dramatic rises in binge and heavy drinking and prevalence of AUD in women. Historically, alcohol misuse and AUD have been more prevalent in men than in women. However, recent evidence on data from the past decade shows increases in AUD prevalence rates that are associated with substantially higher binge and heavy drinking and AUD prevalence in women compared to men.

“The pandemic has taken a disproportionate toll on people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.”
– NIH News Releases

Read more HERE!

“NIAAA scientists report that specific changes in a brain circuit involved in learning and decision-making could underlie behavioral effects of prenatal alcohol exposure.”

Learn more HERE!

CDC Resources: The live web stream of the August session of Public Health Grand Rounds, “Reducing Polysubstance Use in Pregnancy” was viewed by 1,174 people in 4 foreign countries, 49 states, and the District of Columbia.

The use of multiple substances, including tobacco, alcohol, and opioids, during pregnancy can have negative effects on a pregnant person and the developing baby. Research suggests that polysubstance use (using more than one substance at a time) during pregnancy is common. Recent evidence suggests that polysubstance use is highest during early pregnancy.

To view, Click HERE!

The Maternal-Infant Health and Opioid Use project aims to improve the quality of care of infants exposed to opioids prenatally or diagnosed with neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS), and of pregnant and parenting women with opioid use disorder (OUD). The project develops and promotes educational resources that support the patient and family-centered care framework, to focus on both, the systems of services for children with prenatal opioid exposure, as well as linkages to care and treatment for women of reproductive age with OUD.

Read More HERE!